Month of the Greats: Greats in your community

[Elaevia]

There are a lot of people called 'Great' out there in the world: maybe they're a sportsperson, politician, scientist, hero. And all of of them will be well know to many of us. But what about the others? The people who never get their name written across the stars, but whom we value as personal inspiration?

 

This is your chance to celebrate those Greats in your community, those people who are Greats to you but we may never hear of.

 

Maybe they are a friend who you can always count on. Maybe they are a local leader who makes a difference to the lives of you and your neighbors. Maybe they work for a charity that is close to your heart and has helped you or someone you know.

 

Tell us all about them  and what they mean to you - why they are not just great, but a Great.

 

I can not give them all a statue or a national holiday like they deserve, but I can raise a glass to your Greats.

 

 

[WildTaltos]

I think my mentour in the priesthood of my religon is a great man. I cannot claom to understnd him well, he's fairlly stoic, but he has alwys been a great help to the comunity at large, and I thnk that means he caers much abuot others, beyind duty, or else he wóuldnt be so involvd.

 

Whenver people hav a personal dispuet that they cant work uot themselvs, they go to him for advice or ask to setle for them; whenever soemone is havin a hard time, he is more than redy to giev them food or clothing (not money becuse he dosnt realy have much of that), or let them live with him fir awhile; he alwys helps uot in nayway he can with community projects, from formal thngs like celbrations for a baby's naming day to informall things liek helping out buildin a new barn; and thuogh it isnt realy his duty, he at tiems looks afte any orphans, so I think hes a good fathre figure. His personall strength to me is incrediblle - he is an epileptic and thuogh cant be sure becuse he was nevre examined back then, I belive polio crippled oen of his legs when he was a child, but at any raet it is crippled. and thuogh this gaev him hard time growin up, he still has a mentall fortitude very few have, its incredible. I admire him for ths, his extreme sensse of duty and the compasion I believ he tuoches it with, and his inteligence and generosity, and the fact of all his yers of study to achieve his rank. He dos not seem good with empathy, not in th way of something liek sayin "oh, that horrble, I feel bad for yuo," but he gives me sage and suond advice whn I am havin emotional dificulties, and he looks out for me liek no one else has save for my sister.

 

I feel like he's a father figuer I did not have, and he's oen of the main people who hold the comunity together; for that I call him a great man.

[Elaevia]

that's amazing Taltos, he sounds like he's really made a difference to you and to others, very worthy of Greatness!

[Elaevia]

I'd like to share a story about a friend of mine. She lost her mother when she was young, her father re-married and she has two half-siblings. What makes her great is two things.

 

First is her openness. she answers any questions about het family situation putting everyone else at ease. even when talking about this painful thing she is thinking of others.

 

second is her outlook. she us not bitter or angry at losing her, instead thankful for the family she has.

 

I'm not sure I would have the strength to be that sort of person, so to me she is Great

[Gudrean]

I would like to share about some women in my community that have made a great difference in my son's life. My son Caide has Autism. He attends a normal public school. The second half of this year has been quite a struggle for him. There are 3 women at his school that have helped him in ways that are not required or expected. The school counselor, the special Ed teacher and a teacher's assistant. Each of them has worked with him, sat with him through tough moments and not given up on him when he has been at his worst. With out them he might have had to leave school temporary or permanently. He loves going to school until he has a crisis and then he says he hates it. These women consistently encourage him and inspire him to keep going and do better and for these reasons they are all great parts of our community.

[Elaevia]

Thank you for sharing Gudrean! It wonderful that these women are so committed to helping your son.

[Tigraine]

I would like to tell you about the absolute greatest person I know if that's okay?

 

My grandmother Irene! I have respected this woman since I became old enough to know what the word meant. I admire her in every aspect of her life. My Mamaw lived next door to me growing up but to understand the adversity this woman faced we have to look back to before I was born.

 

She had a child out of wedlock back in a time when it meant you betrayed your family's honor and were shunned by those that were supposed to love you most. The pregnancy came as a result of something that she had no choice in. She had the daughter and moved away from her family to begin supporting herself and daughter. She worked jobs that only men in the area had ever done to bring money into their small household.

 

Finally she met a man that didnt care about the things that her society did. She married him and had eight children with him. During their marriage he became sick, he had lung cancer and liver cancer...it was a race as to which would kill him. He died before their last son was born.

 

Eventually she remarried to a man that had his own children. He ended up being quite mean, putting his kids before hers in everything and always degrading her for not doin the same. He died in an automobile accident.

 

Her third husband, she claims, the love of her life. He made her kids equal to his and even rejoiced in having grand kids. He insisted on calling them his own and treated them like gold. When he died of a heart attack she was left with a house and acres of property and a broken heart.

 

During her first marriage she had joined church and NEVER wavered from her faith. She never questioned why god had taken so much from her and still devotes herself to him fully.

 

My father was a gambling addict. Often times we had nothing except the house next door to her that she had given us. She fed me day after day and was always my shoulder to cry on. Not one member of my family makes a move without seeking her approval, not because she wants it but because we all strive to make her happy. Never once has she not smiled and said "I'm proud of you" She is kind and caring, she is a rock that has weathered many storms. My Mamaw has inspired 4 generations. I would be happy to be half as great as this amazing woman.

[Elaevia]

Wow, Tigaine, that is an amazing and lovely story. Thank you for sharing with us, another inspirational person who makes us do better by following their example.

[Rhea]

My father was a great leader. From the time I was a small child I can remember him being bigger than life (even though he wasn't a very large man). His voice alone could quiet a room. He'd had a bad 1st marriage resulting in a divorce and was lucky to find the love of his life when he married my mom. She even followed him in everything they did. He was not only a great family leader, he was a great business and religious leader. As the head of our family he was instrumental in bringing us all together and keeping us together. With four children from his first wife and one child (me) from his second he was the glue that bonded us all. He regained custody of all of his children who lived with us. He taught us all respect and pushed us towards greater knowledge. He learned what each of our passions was and helped to cultivate it. Most of all he showed us how to love each other unconditionally. In business he opened and ran his own pharmacy where he employed many loyal people, people who he inspired as much as he would with his own family. They stayed on for many years and one of them took over running the pharmacy while my father went back to school to earn another degree in hospital administration. Once he graduated with his 4 year degree, earning it in 2 years, he took over a failing nursing home and turned it around. He didn't fire a single person, instead he started programs within the place to mentor and teach those who needed it making it the #1 rated nursing home in the city within 2 years after taking over. He was so loved and respected there that even to this day I still receive cards and letters from several of the employees. It was a family affair, my father ran the place, my mother was the dietitian, 2 of my 1/2 sisters were nurses there, and I started working there when I was 14. On top of all this my father was also the head of the congregation at our church, he taught bible study and confirmation, and he was the executive in charge of finance for the church extension fund in a 4 state region. All of this was not enough however, and he went back to school again to become a minister. His passion in life was the church and it was his dream to someday lead our ministry. He realized this dream and went on to become a leading figure within our church for many years. As the church grew he was influential in maintaining it's sanctity and feeling of coming home. He was honored many times in his life with numerous awards for leadership. I should not fail to mention that he was a Navy man in WW2 and served on a ship in the Pacific. Though he was only a seaman first class he was awarded the Navy Medal of Honor for his actions that resulted not only in saving his fellow crewmen, but that of their ship as well. My father was 83 years old when he passed away. His grave is marked with a large bronze military issued plaque and every year on Memorial Day the U.S. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) gather in the cemetery to honor him.

[Gudrean]

so many great stories of great people =)

[Elaevia]

Thanks for telling us about him Rhea, it really comes across how much of an impact he had on others, how much he had an impact on you :)

[Ryrin]

I'm just learning a lot about my son's future wife.  Her family is from Jordan but she was born here in the United States.  At age 5, her mother died giving birth to her sister.  Two weeks later her father committed suicide.  No one in the family stepped up to take them so family friends took the girls in.  At age 15 she became pregnant.  That family kicked her out.  She went to live with an aunt who put a roof over her head and food, but not much else.  She earned her high school diploma at age 16 and had her son Caden, alone.  No one as with her in the hospital.  She then went to nursing school and now works in a hospital.

 

Tough young woman.  Smart too.  I'm proud of her.

[Elaevia]

Ryrin! She sounds really strong, and it's great that you're welcoming her in to your family, by the sound of it that sort of acceptance must mean a lot to her! :)